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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26093749">The Long Road Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SasskatShinobi1/pseuds/SasskatShinobi1'>SasskatShinobi1</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Class Differences, Cultural Differences, Depression, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Family, Gen, Gender Roles, Native American Character(s), Native American/First Nations Culture, Oregon Trail, Orphans, Period-Typical Racism, Period-Typical Sexism, Runaway, Sassy Haruno Sakura, Slavery, Survival, Victorian, Wilderness Survival, pioneer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:40:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,032</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26093749</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SasskatShinobi1/pseuds/SasskatShinobi1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Naruto AU- Oregon Trail </p><p>Independence Missouri, 1842. </p><p>Kakashi Hatake is a loner after losing his father and two best friends.  After several years of isolating himself from the pretentious, gossiping people of his town, he packs up and decides to head out on the Oregon Trail to begin a new life. Never intending to get close to people ever again, he encounters many people along the way that begin to change his heart. </p><p>This is a story about the harsh journey the westward pioneers made, encounters with Indigenous peoples, racism, morality, family, and the value of human life.</p><p>*I do not own the original story, content, or characters, but am adding my own OC(s) and using a historical AU as my setting, keeping the of characters as realistic as possible*</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Key for normal chapters:</p><p>Normal font for out-loud speech, actions, narrations, etc.<br/>Italicized writing indicates Natsumi's thoughts.<br/>"Italicized writing in quotation marks indicates someone else's thoughts."<br/>Italicized words for tonal change/sarcasm/exaggeration/etc.<br/>--<br/>Key for flashbacks:</p><p>Italicized writing for out-loud speech, actions, narrations, etc.<br/>Normal font for Natsumi's thoughts.<br/>"Normal font in quotation marks for someone else's thoughts."<br/>Normal words for tonal change/sarcasm/exaggeration/etc in a conversation.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Independence, Missouri- March 1848</p><p> </p><p>A handsome young man of twenty-six carried out a box of supplies he had purchased from the general store and loaded it into the back of his wagon, arranging it neatly with the crates of goods already there. Each held an assortment of things— rifles, ammunition, tools, clothing, wool blankets, matches, a cast-iron pot, needle and thread, dried meats, cheeses, bread, nuts, fruits, seeds, a few books, a small lockbox, and even two laying hens who clucked anxiously from their small cage fashioned from twine and cut branches.</p><p>He wiped his forehead and placed his hands on his hips as he looked over his supplies, he glanced over his shoulder out of the corner of his eye at the group of ladies standing in the shade of the store.</p><p>The ladies were well-to-do— his father had once known the families they came from well— and each lady was dressed finely in a pastel gown as they fanned themselves to cool themselves off and keep the flies away. Their silk hats kept the sun out of their eyes and were decorated were only the finest blooms.</p><p>He furrowed his brows slightly as he briefly met their gaze and overheard their whispered gossip.</p><p>“He looked right at me.”</p><p>“Susannah, don’t be so loud. He might hear.”</p><p>“Is that really Kakashi Hatake? It’s been so long since I last saw him. He’s gotten quite tall, and handsome, too.”</p><p>“No one has seen him much these past years. He hardly comes into town at all.” Abigail held the fan up to her mouth as she whispered. “Not since… that day.”</p><p>“Oh, that’s right.”</p><p>“It was so tragic, when they died.” Alice muttered. “The whole town gathered for their funerals.”</p><p>“Obito sure was a fine man.” Susannah nodded sadly. “He was full of energy and boisterous, but he was good-looking and so kind.”</p><p>“I remember when we were young, and I had first met Rin. I nearly thought she was a savage’s daughter, wearing trousers and being covered in mud, catching rabbits in the forest just for fun.” Abigail paused. “She had grown up to be such a beauty and everyone was eager to see who her father would choose for her. I can hardly believe that she has been gone so long.”</p><p>“So terrible.” Alice cast her eyes downward briefly, then glanced back toward the man. “The three of them were all so close to one another. “</p><p>“It was after that day that he started to cover his face, you know.” Susannah whispered. “He’d always been shy about being seen, but he showed up at their funerals with his face hidden like that, and he’s only been seen in public like that since.”</p><p>“Is that really his natural hair?” Lula asked quietly, speaking up finally after swatting a fly away. “Surely it can’t be white like that on its own.”</p><p>“I forgot that you only recently came to this town.” Alice looked over at the woman, who wore red. “None of us can explain it, but he was born with hair as pale as a ghost in the mist. His father was the same way.”</p><p>“Was he?” Lula asked and blinked, then looked toward him from the corner of her eye. “How interesting.”</p><p>“His father, Sakumo, was a very respected officer in the army. Everyone liked him well enough, and I hear that he was a looker himself and a popular bachelor.”</p><p>“What happened to him?” Lula looked over her fan to watch as he shifted and organized the contents of the wagon. “Did he fall out of favor?”</p><p>“I suppose you could say that.” Abigail answered after a pause. “He became the talk of the town after he shot a fellow soldier to save the life of a <em>savage.</em>”</p><p>Lula’s eyes widened slightly. “<em>No!</em> He did that?” She pursed her lips. “Why?”</p><p>“No one could be really sure.” Susannah shook her head. “He claimed that the savage was innocent, and <em>intelligent</em>, and that it was wrong to kill him.”</p><p>“My word.” Lula muttered. “He must have gone mad.”</p><p>“After that, he was thrown out of army and became reclusive. He took his wife out to the edge of town and built a small cabin in the woods there.” Alice paused for a moment. “Neither of them hardly came into town at all, and if they did, they did not talk to many people. I suppose living in the woods like that might have buffed away some of their civility.”</p><p>“They did start coming into town more frequently once their boy got old enough to come to the schoolhouse. We met him there.” Susannah sighed softly. “He’s always been quiet, but he surprised us all by being so gifted that he overtook the teacher in every subject. Some also believe that he has an <em>unnatural</em> ability.”</p><p>“Unnatural?”</p><p>“He can finish your sentence before you can say it, and, when he’s scrapped with other boys in our class, it was as if he could tell what they were going to do before they set it into motion.” Alice shuddered. “Some took to calling him ‘Kakashi the Copycat.’”</p><p>“There are an awful lot of strange rumors about that family.” Abigail murmured. “His mother is said to have died from fever before he could speak, though a lot of people wonder if she only left Sakumo on account that she couldn’t stand to be married to a man who betrayed his own fellow soldier to save a <em>savage.</em>”</p><p>Kakashi walked out of the store with another crate and set it loudly down in the back of the wagon, causing each of the ladies to jump with a quiet squeak. They gulped slightly as he looked at them again, then he turned to manage his supplies. The ladies let out a sigh of relief and then lowered their voices.</p><p>“Sakumo died about ten years ago, you know. Consumption.” Alice nodded to herself as she explained. “It devastated his son, but you could hardly tell due to his stoic face. He was fortunate to have those friends of his, but he lived all alone out in that cabin.”</p><p>“And then he lost Obito and Rin as well…” Susannah frowned slightly. “That’s why there’s talk that he’s gone a bit mad, too. Living all alone like that in the woods, keeping to himself…”</p><p>“Well, there’re certainly plenty of reasons as to why he isn’t married, then.” Lulu turned her nose up slightly. “No proper lady would want that kind of life.”</p><p>“Still, he must be lonely.” Abigail sighed. “I couldn’t imagine living that way.”</p><p>“Oh, Kakashi.” An old man passed by the wagon, then smiled at the young man and patted his shoulder. “Are you setting off already?”</p><p>“Yes, sir.” Kakashi turned to look at the aging chaplain and smiled slightly, his eyes wrinkling shut. “If I wait too long, I’ll be caught up in the worst parts of winter when crossing the mountains.”</p><p>“Of course, of course.” The old man smiled, his wrinkled face creasing more deeply, and then nodded. “I remember well when your parents first married. And then when you were born, Sakumo was so proud and your mother was elated. God rest their souls.” He sighed. “It was only a matter of time before you outgrew this place.” He squeezed Kakashi’s shoulder gently. “Be safe on your travels, dear boy. The wilderness is a dangerous place, especially all on your own. Are you sure you don’t want to travel with some other folks? The Downing’s are heading west, too. If you wait only another week—”</p><p>“Chaplain Vogel, I assure you, I can manage on my own. I’d rather not inconvenience any good people, and the Downing’s already have plenty of mouths to feed.”</p><p>The old man sighed and then smiled slightly. “I knew that I wouldn’t be able to persuade you, though I had to try anyway.”</p><p>“Thank you for your concern, Chaplain. You have always looked out for me, no matter how obstinate I was, and you were a good friend to my father. I owe you much, however, I have no way to repay you.”</p><p>“There is no need for that.” The Chaplain shook his head. “Your father saved my life when a group of natives set fire to the church and the barracks. He saved many that night with God’s guidance and strength, but I have always tried to do him right. I was the only man in the company who stuck up for him during the hearing.”</p><p>“My father was always grateful for that.” Kakashi’s smiled faded and he straightened. “He thought of you as a father.”</p><p>“I am honored, then.” The old man smiled, and then reached into an inner pocket of his jacket. He held out an old, yellowed envelope. “I do have this for you, Kakashi. I happened to find it when I was cleaning out the Church’s attic.”</p><p>Kakashi took the envelope and turned it over, his eyes widening at the handwriting. “It’s my father’s…”</p><p>“I was certain that it was.” The Chaplain nodded. “I don’t know what the letter says, though I believe it was meant for you. You should read it when you are ready.”</p><p>Kakashi stared long and hard at the letter with a stoic expression, then nodded and slid the envelope into one of the crates. “Thank you, Chaplain. Thanks isn’t enough, but I will do my best to do you proud on my journey.”</p><p>“Take this as well.” The man took a small book from his jacket and placed his hand on the dry, cracked leather. “This was my Bible from my first day as Chaplain, and it’s the one that I used at your parents’ wedding. It should go to you.”</p><p>“I don’t know what to say.” Kakashi paused, staring at the book as he held it in his hands. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat as memories surfaced in his mind. “Are you certain that I can take something so precious of yours? It might be damaged on the trip.”</p><p>“Son, when you get to be my age, you realize that all of the possessions the Lord has granted us in life are meant to be shared with the next generation.” He patted Kakashi’s hand on the Bible. “Please, take this, and know that I will be praying for your safety each day.”</p><p>“In that case, I’m honored to have it.” Kakashi held the Bible closer to his chest and bowed his head. “I’ll keep it as safe as I can.”</p><p>“Write as soon as you make it there, will you? I want to hear all about the people you will meet or the places you will see.”</p><p>“I’ll try.” Kakashi turned slightly to put the leather-bound book away, and then turned his attention back to the man. “I have one more stop that I need to make before I set off, but I likely won’t see you again. Goodbye, Chaplain. Please take care of yourself, and this town.”</p><p>“God willing.” The old man took a step back. “Remember: If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” He lifted his hand to wave as Kakashi gently tapped the oxen’s side and they began to move down the street. “Farewell, Kakashi!”</p><p>The ladies watched as Kakashi left, pursing their lips as they went silent. After a while, Susannah cleared her throat and looked between the women.</p><p>“Did you hear the rumor that Beatrice had an affair with William’s brother? The day before their ceremony?” The ladies gasped and Susannah laughed softly. “Or, did you hear the gossip about Dee?”</p><hr/><p>Kakashi stopped the wagon in front of the saloon and stepped down to tie the reins to the post outside and scratch the chin of one of the oxen.</p><p>“Wait here for me.”</p><p>Grabbing a small box, a burlap pouch, and a bottle of liquor from one of his crates, he stepped inside and looked around. Though it was morning, the Saloon was already at half capacity.</p><p> The steady patrons were there to laugh and talk, even without drinks in hand, but the local drunk sat slumped already in the corner of the establishment, his face flushed as she snored with an empty bottle in his hand. Several men sat at the small round tables, only there to make eyes at the owner’s daughter as she cleaned up. The owner— a burly man, over six feet tall, with a thick neck and arms, and a bald-smooth head— stood behind the bar with his usual stern expression and his arms crossed. He occasionally joined in the talk with the regulars, but he spent much of his time glaring at the men ogling Missy.</p><p>Around a larger table on the far side sat several soldiers; a few seasoned veterans sat among them, chewing tobacco and playing cards with the younger soldiers— new recruits and recently-promoted Captains and Lieutenants.</p><p>All eyes turned to him as he pushed open the creaking doors and stood in the entry for a long moment, taking a long look at the faces he would never see again. They turned to return to their business, and Kakashi glanced over toward the soldiers.</p><p>“Colonel Burke. Colonel Lafayette.” Kakashi approached the assembly of soldiers and cleared his throat quietly. The oldest and sternest pair of the bunch slowly looked up from their hand of cards and met his gaze.</p><p>“Oh. It’s only Sakumo’s boy.” The old Veteran spat his tobacco into a tin cup and furrowed his brows. “What do you want? We’re busy.”</p><p>Lafayette raised his brow and leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms as he looked Kakashi over. “Well, well… the boy of the savage-sympathizer has grown into a man.” He gazed at Kakashi long and hard before spitting out his own tobacco and taking a small sip of whiskey. “I heard you’re abandoning Independence and joining the wagon train to go west. What is it that you want from us?”</p><p>“I’ve brought a gift for you, sir.” Kakashi looked between Burke and Lafayette and held out the bottle.</p><p>“A gift?” Burke snorted and eyed the liquor. “What for?”</p><p>“My father intended this for you in his last will and testament.” Kakashi paused, the words bitter in his mouth. “Regrettably, it was lost in his things and I only just found it when I was packing. I decided that I must honor his wishes before I would be able to leave Independence with a clear conscious.”</p><p>“Hmph.” Burke snorted, and Lafayette’s eyes narrowed and he took the bottle quietly to study its label.</p><p>“Do you know where your father got this bottle, boy?” He glanced up at Kakashi.</p><p>“No, sir. He never spoke of it.”</p><p>Lafayette grunted and set the bottle down on the table in front of him. “I gave it to him as a gift, the day he was made a Major.”</p><p>“I didn’t know that, sir.”</p><p>“Hm.” Lafayette eyed the amber bottle, still unopened. “Before his rank was stripped and he was discharged, he made an oath to me that he would return the bottle to me, unopened, when I was finally made a Colonel. I assumed he had forgotten and drowned his sorrows with it, but it seems I was wrong.”</p><p>The chatter in the saloon quieted and the Veteran lay his cards facedown to pick up the bottle once again.</p><p>“Sakumo was a good man with a keen mind, tough spirit, and sturdy hands. It was a real privilege to watch him grow from a green-bellied recruit to a proud Major. There was a time when I trusted him with my life.” Lafayette paused. “He promised to return this bottle to me for my promotion and that we would drink it together. It’s a right shame that things turned out the way that they did.”</p><p>All conversation in the saloon ceased and the establishment was quiet. Kakashi looked around from the corners of his eyes, aware that all eyes and ears were on him, and the tension in the air mounted as if the building itself were holding its breath. He cleared his throat and turned his gaze back toward the Colonel.</p><p>“My father never bore a grudge against the army, Colonel, nor against you.”</p><p>“As if he’d have the right.” Burke sneered. “That comrade-killing savage-sympathizer was let off easy. I had voted for the firing squad.”</p><p>“That decision wasn’t yours to make, Martin.” Lafayette gazed at the man coolly. “Sakumo’s service record was too great to ignore. His punishment was enough.” He paused, and, with it, the tension of the room eased. He looked back at the bottle, then up to Kakashi. “It’s a shame that Sakumo himself isn’t here to share this drink with me.” He tipped the bottle slightly to point at the younger man and raised his brow. “Though, I suppose drinking it with his boy would suit well enough.”</p><p>“I’m honored, Colonel, but I have to set off shortly. Drinking too much wouldn’t be a wise decision.”</p><p>“Nonsense. One glass shouldn’t be enough to inebriate a real man.” Lafayette huffed and took out his pocketknife to jam the tip into the cork. With a twist, the cork came out and the Veteran chuckled as he waved the bottle under his nose and inhaled. “Nice n’ smooth. It aged well.” He turned to look at Missy, who was cleaning glasses. “Bring us one of those, darlin’.”</p><p>She looked to Kakashi, who met her eyes briefly, and then brought over a glass. Lafayette filled it and held it out to Kakashi, and, after taking a moment to shift the other two items he held, took the glass and looked down at it. Missy watched him for a moment before returning to her cleaning, and Lafayette filled and held up his glass.</p><p>“To your father. There will never be another man of his equal, nor with his potential. He may have gone against his duty, but he had the courage to do what he believed to be right, and to accept the consequences like a real man.”</p><p>Burke sneered again, and a pair of Captains chuckled. Lafayette shot them a glare and pointed at them with his index as he held the glass up.</p><p>“I wouldn’t get so comfortable, <em>Captains.</em> If you’ve never scrapped with a nine-hundred-pound black bear fresh out of hibernation, armed with only a knife, you can’t judge another’s man’s courage.”</p><p>The Captains quieted and shared a serious expression, and Lafayette laughed and glanced at Kakashi. “Did your father keep that fur?”</p><p>“It’s in the back of the wagon as we speak.”</p><p>“Hah.” Lafayette laughed again and shook his head slightly. “He was one-of-a-kind, your father.” He tipped his head back to swallow the liquor in a single large gulp, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and rested the glass on the table. “That’s good drink.”</p><p>Kakashi lowered the loose cloth mask just enough to drink down the glass in a gulp, then lifted the mask once more and set the glass down. “Rich and smooth.”</p><p>“Just like my first wife’s ass.” Lafayette chuckled to himself, sitting forward to rest his arm on the table. “You’re crazy as hell for trying to make this trip alone, but if there’s any man capable of actually succeeding by their lonesome with these odds, I’d bet my whole damn estate on it being Sakumo’s boy.”</p><p>“Thank you, Colonel.” Kakashi tipped his head slightly and then turned. “I’ll take my leave, then.”</p><p>“Wait a moment.”</p><p>Kakashi turned to meet the Veteran’s gaze, his eyes now serious.</p><p>“I hope that you don’t have the same flawed thinking, boy. If you come across any savages— and you will— any amount of hesitation on your part will kill you.” Lafayette sat up slightly, glancing briefly at the scars on his right arm before the looked back up at Kakashi. “They hate us. All of us. They’ll kill you without remorse, right as soon as they look at you. They’ve captured westward wagons before, brutalizing the men and raping their wives and daughters in front of them, and then scalping them when they were done.” He spat on the floor with a seething glare. “There’s a reason why we call them savages. Don’t make the same mistake your father did.”</p><p>Kakashi remained quietly for a moment as he maintained the Colonel’s gaze without breaking it. After a long moment of silence, Kakashi cleared his throat.</p><p>“I appreciate the words of advice, Colonel, but I have never had any trouble doing what’s necessary when my life is on the line.” He tipped he head and then turned again. “Good day, Colonel.”</p><p>“Hmph.” Burke glared at the young man as he walked away and clenched his jaw, muttering under his breath. “Just like his father…”</p><p>Kakashi approached the bar, and the man behind it furrowed his brows to look him up and down.</p><p>“If you’re not here to drink, I’ll ask you to leave if your only aim is to bother my customers.”</p><p>“I’ve brought something for you as well, Ewald.” Kakashi held out the small pouch, and the man only raised his brow. After a pause, Kakashi opened the pouch slightly and shook out some of its contents. “It’s Rye.”</p><p>“What do I need with this?”</p><p>“They’re high quality.” Kakashi set the bag down on the bar. “If you combine the Rye with some cracked corn and a bit of barley… you’ll have yourself a drink unique to this place. I figure it will make your business boom even better that it’s doing now.”</p><p>“Hmph.” The barkeep picked up the Rye and narrowed his eyes slightly at it. “These <em>are</em> high quality… Must’ve come from Pennsylvania. How did you get these?”</p><p>“I got them in a trade recently. I don’t have a use for them, so I thought that you might be interested in taking them off my hands for me. You’d be doing me a favor.”</p><p>“A trade, huh?” The man nodded after a moment. “Fine. I’ll take ‘em. I suppose it couldn’t hurt to mess around with the recipe a bit to see what happens.”</p><p>“And this…” Kakashi glanced at Missy, who put the last of the clean glasses away, then held out the box to her. “Is yours.”</p><p>“For me?” Missy took the small box and nearly blushed.</p><p>“What is it?” Ewald eyed the box suspiciously and</p><p>“She was kind enough to loan me a small sum of money some time ago. This is my return payment, interest added.” Kakashi kept his eyes on the box, and he lowered his voice. “I wouldn’t open it here, though, with prying eyes around.” He nodded at himself and put his hands into his pockets. “Well, that takes care of my business here. Good day.”</p><p>Ewald glared as Kakashi left, then roughly took the box from his daughter's hands and moved to the back room with it. “Let’s see just what that whelp gave my Missy.”</p><p>Opening the box, his eyes widened at the bottle inside, now empty of liquor, but full of gold dust instead.</p><p>“W-What the—?!”</p><p>“What is it, daddy?” Missy stepped into the room behind him and closed the door, then her own eyes widened. “Oh my word. That’s much more than a <em>bit</em> of interest.”</p><p>“What’s this, now?” The man blinked and picked up a folded paper beneath the bottle and scowled. “Damn that boy, meddling with things.”</p><p>Missy took the paper, reading it quickly as her mouth gaped. “The deed to his land?” She swallowed at the signatures at the bottom that accompanied a seal, speaking in a breathless whisper. “I’m a property owner.”</p><p>Her father glared at her, then held his hand out to her. "Give me that, Missy. Women have no business owning property."</p><p>Her eyes widened slightly, then her brows furrowed and she shook her head quickly. "No! This is a legally-binding seal, and that there gold is mine by right, too."</p><p>Her father looked down at her sternly. "And just <em>what</em> are you planning on doing with them?"</p><p>"Whatever I want to." She took off her apron and dropped it onto the floor. "I want to get myself an education, daddy, and become a doctor."</p><p>"A doctor?" He scoffed. "You're a smart girl, Missy. You should realize that you have no place in that world."</p><p>"Then I'll make my place there." She took the bottle of gold from him, placing it back into the box with the deed. "As for me, I won't be working here any longer. I'm tired of having those men look at me day in and day out."</p><p>She stormed out of the room, then out of the saloon without a second glance back at the patrons. Her father let out a hot breath and crossed his arms.</p><p>"That boy is a meddler, just the same as his father."</p><hr/><p> Kakashi stepped outside as the crowded street was in the midst of more chaos than typical.</p><p>“Thief! Find that thief!” The general store owner pushed through people with an angry expression, then recognized Kakashi and walked over to him. “Have you seen that little thief around? Faded red shirt, dirty brown trousers, filthy hair?”</p><p>“An orphan?” Kakashi put a hand on his wagon as he asked.</p><p>“Seemed like, though I didn’t get much of a look.” The man held up his hand. “A kid ‘bout this high. A girl, I think, with strange pink or red mash in her hair.”</p><p>“As much as I would like to be of help, I haven’t seen anyone who’s fit that description.”</p><p>“Figures.” The man scratched his balding head. “She took the last of our peaches, too. Greedy little street rat.” He scratched his head again and then waved his hand. “Sorry to trouble you. You’d best be off while the weather is still ideal and the way isn’t muddy.”</p><p>“Will do.” Kakashi nodded and waved his hand slightly. “I hope you find your thief.” Untying the oxen from the post, he climbed into the seat of the wagon, flicking the reins to spur them forward. The crowds parted as he went by and he watched solemnly as he passed each building and figure for the very last time.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kakashi eyed the sun's position in the sky as the wagon slowly rolled to a stop. He leaned back slightly in the seat and stretched slightly with a small yawn. The oxen grunted and shook their heads and the chickens clucked loudly and flapped inside their cages.</p>
<p>"Settle down, gals." He turned slightly in the seat and opened the drawstring slightly to peer inside. "Opal and Pearl, it's alright. This is only temporary."</p>
<p>The hens continued to squawk anxiously and Kakashi waved his hand as he muttered.</p>
<p>
  <em>"Women."</em>
</p>
<p>Hopping down from the seat, he stretched once again and gently patted one if the oxen's sides.</p>
<p>"Good work today, fellas. You must be tired. I'll make sure you get a nice, long drink, don't you worry."</p>
<p>The animal lowed as if replying and Kakashi patted its back again. He turned his attention back to the wagons as the frantic clucking continued.</p>
<p>"What are those birds fussing about?"</p>
<p>Walking to the back of the wagon, he opened the drawstring to peer inside. The hens turned to look at him and quieted as they recognized him, and he put a hand on his hip.</p>
<p>"You don't like the wagon much, do you?"</p>
<p>The white hen flapped its wings and pecked at the cage, while the pale gray hen settled down in his presence.</p>
<p>"Well, there isn't anything I can do about that. You'll just have to tough it out—" He stopped talking to the birds and narrowed his eyes at the bearskin blanket, which had been carefully rolled and stored in a crate before, but now was in a large lump in the wagon. His eyes fell to a peach pit on the floor of the wagon.</p>
<p>Kakashi's brow furrowed as he picked up the peach pit and his eyes rose to the lump under the bearskin to stare at it for a while. A small, slow crunch was muffled beneath, and he frowned and ripped the bearskin off to reveal the dirty girl hidden beneath. She let out a squeak and froze in place with a peach still in her mouth and her eyes were wide as she stared back at him.</p>
<p>"Well, I found Dawson's thief..."</p>
<p>She quickly swallowed the bite in her mouth and he grabbed her arm roughly, pulling her out of the wagon to spill out onto the ground.</p>
<p>"Ow! Hey!" She shot him a glare as she stood up and dusted herself off. "That's not how you treat a lady!"</p>
<p>Kakashi scoffed and flicked the peach pit at her forehead before he crossed his arms. "You're not a lady; you're a stowaway and a thief."</p>
<p>She puffed her cheeks and glanced down at the half-eaten peach in her hand, now covered in dirt. She frowned as she wiped it off on the inside of her shirt and took another bite. "I just wanted some peaches."</p>
<p>"I can't stand thieves."</p>
<p>She swallowed the bite and put a hand on her hip. "I was <em>going</em> to pay for them eventually."</p>
<p>"Yeah?" Kakashi raised his brow. "With what money?"</p>
<p>She went silent, only puffing her cheeks and holding her breath. "I could get some..."</p>
<p>"Sure, by stealing." He smacked the fruit out of her hand and then pointed east. "It's 15 miles back to Independence and the sun will set soon. You'd better start walking."</p>
<p>"H-Huh?!" Her eyes widened and she followed his finger with her eyes and paled slightly. "Wait! I can't travel that far my myself! And not in the dark, either!"</p>
<p>"You should have thought about that before stowing away in <em>my</em> wagon, then, thief."</p>
<p>"But!" She stomped her foot. "I don't want to go back to Independence! That's why I hid in your wagon! I could have just hidden in one of the empty barrels behind the saloon, but I wanted to leave."</p>
<p>"Look, Independence has its problems, but it isn't that bad." Kakashi sighed slightly and shifted in place. "Even if you did want to leave, you should have had the sense to choose any other wagon but this one. I aim to make this trip alone, and I have no interest in keeping a thief here or looking out for you."</p>
<p>"But I can be useful!" She gripped the bottom of her shirt as her face flushed in frustration. "I can... I can fix your clothes if they get torn."</p>
<p>"I make my own clothing, thief. I don't need you to do needlework."</p>
<p>"I..." She bit her lip as she thought. "I-I can cook!" She bit her lip harder as she mumbled under her breath. "Except I'm terrible at it."</p>
<p>"Tough luck, thief." He held his hands up to shrug. "I'm adept at cooking as well."</p>
<p>"Rats..." She muttered and stomped her foot again, then her eyes widened and she looked up at him. "I'll make good company! I'm great at conversation."</p>
<p>"I'm not a fan of conversation." He crossed his arms and she puffed her cheeks again.</p>
<p>"I don't want to go back to Independence..." She turned her head down as her eyes watered. "No one expects me to be anything and no one ever acknowledges my existence unless it benefits them. I have dreams too, but they say that I can't do what I want because I wasn't born a boy. It isn't fair." The girl gripped her shirt again. "Please let me stay. I just want to be in charge of my life for once. You can dump me at the first fort we get to if you want, or trade me for food, or something. I just want the chance to prove that I'm not just a girl."</p>
<p>A heavy silence fell between them and Kakashi stared at her as she kept her eyes on her shoes. After some time, he rubbed his head, turning away to look up.</p>
<p>"I... suppose I could throw you to a mountain lion as bait if I ever needed to get away... or use you as a peace offering if we run into a tribe of cannibals." He crossed his arms and glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "You can stay for now, Bait."</p>
<p>Her eyes widened and she stared up at him. "Really?! I can stay?!"</p>
<p>"Don't get too comfortable, Bait. I said <em>for now."</em></p>
<p>"Hooray!" She jumped and spun in a circle, then threw her arms around his waist in an embrace. "Thank you! I'm so happy! You won't regret this at all!"</p>
<p>"I never said you could touch me, Bait." Kakashi's eye twitched and he gripped her wrists, unlooping her arms from around him, and moved her away from him. He sighed and shook his head. "I'm already regretting this."</p>
<p>"Hmph." She crossed her arms and stuck her nose up. "My name isn't Bait, either!"</p>
<p>"It is now." Kakashi scoffed and turned to the wagon to go through the supplies. "Bait suits you."</p>
<p>"It doesn't!" She huffed and clenched her fists. "My name is Sakura, not Bait! Sa-ku-ra!"</p>
<p>"Sakura?" Kakashi glanced over his shoulder at her and she half-smirked and put her hands on her hips.</p>
<p>"Sakura Haruno! And don't you forget it!"</p>
<p>"Haruno?" He mumbled and narrowed his eyes, looking her over. "You look more like a Bait to me."</p>
<p>"Another thing, mister unfriendly." Sakura pointed at him. "You barely stopped for a single break all day! Any respectable human being has to refresh themselves at some point."</p>
<p>"A ten-year old girl who has fruit mashed into her hair and smells like she rolled around a horse stall has little place dictating what is proper for respectable people to do."</p>
<p>Her face flushed and she crossed her arms over her chest. "I-I'm fourteen!"</p>
<p>"Fourteen?" He raised an eyebrow. "You don't look it at all."</p>
<p>"I only haven't grown into it yet, is all..." She mumbled and looked away. She blinked as he started to unload some things from the wagon and she stepped closer to watch him. "What are you doing?"</p>
<p>"What does it look like I'm doing? I've got to get a fire started to keep warm through the night, let the oxen get some water from the river, and then have them do some grazing and brush them off to clean off the sweat and dust."</p>
<p>"Wait... we can't sleep here!" Sakura looked around. "There's no town or inn! We can't sleep if there aren't any beds"</p>
<p>Kakashi snorted under his breath and shook his head. "Real funny, Bait." He looked at her and then rolled his eyes. "Oh, you're <em>serious?</em>" He pointed at her. "You may have been spoiled at some point, but from here on out, there will be no more beds and no more sleeping within four walls. Sleep will take place in the wagon or on the ground, you'll relieve yourself outside, and you'll have to face wild animals. If you are not able to handle any of that, then you turn around and you start walking back home now."</p>
<p>"N-No!" She blushed and shook her head quickly. "I-I just meant that beds are better! I can sleep anywhere!"</p>
<p>Kakashi scoffed and turned back to the crates to go through the supplies. After some time, he looked over his shoulder at her.</p>
<p>"You ever make a fire before, Bait?"</p>
<p>"A fire?!" She bit her lip. "No."</p>
<p>He tossed a pair of small rocks to her, which she caught. "Well, you're about to."</p>
<p>"Why me?"</p>
<p>He furrowed his brows. "You can't stay if you aren't willing to earn your keep."</p>
<p>"Fine." She puffed her cheeks. "I never said that I wouldn't do it."</p><hr/>
<p>"This sure is tiring..." Sakura sighed and lowered her arm and looked down at the brush in her hand. "I didn't think that brushing them would be so hard."</p>
<p>Kakashi rolled his eyes slightly from where he brushed another ox as it drank from the river. "If this is too difficult for you, you have some serious toughening up to do."</p>
<p>"I'm just not used to taking care of animals is all." She made a face and started to brush the ox's neck again.</p>
<p>"Are you used to doing <em>anything</em> but stealing?" He cocked his brow and glanced toward her. "Some street kid you are; your hands are smooth and your nails are clean."</p>
<p>"What do my nails have to do with anything?"</p>
<p>"It's just an observation, Bait."</p>
<p>"My name isn't Bait." She grumbled and looked at the ox's large eye. "You know that I'm Sakura, at least, right?" The beast lowed and Sakura let out a small sigh. "You can't even talk and it sounded like you were agreeing with your master."</p>
<p>"Hey, Bait."</p>
<p>"What?" She mumbled and turned to look at him, then nearly gasped as he was standing directly behind her.</p>
<p>"Take a bath." He grabbed her arm, then tugged her into the river suddenly with a splash.</p>
<p>She popped her head out of the water, gasping and shivering. "I-It's freezing! Don't just throw someone into the water like that!"</p>
<p>"You should have thought about that before rubbing that stuff in your hair." He put his hand on his hip and pointed to her hair. "Wash it off real quick and then go sit by the fire until you're dry."</p>
<p>"Y-You're... awful."</p>
<p>"And you're filthy." He turned and waved his hand. "Just wash your hair fast so that you don't freeze."</p>
<p>Sakura shivered and watched as he walked back toward the wagon and the fire, checking the pot as it cooked over the flames.</p>
<p>"W-What a jerk." She shivered harder, then sucked in a deep breath before shoving her head underwater and quickly rubbing her hair. After several tries, all remnants of the fruit were gone and she climbed out of the river with her teeth chattering. She sat down heavily beside the fire and held her hands out toward it. "W-Warmth..."</p>
<p>"Well, look at that." Kakashi ladled some of the soup into a bowl and lifted it to his lips to sip it. "You're actually a girl under all that mess."</p>
<p>Sakura made a face and turned her face away from him. “I can’t believe you threw me into the river like that…” She sighed and then touched the ends of her light auburn hair. “I just thought it might be nice to try to change my hair. I’ve heard that some people can lighten or darken theirs with different plants so I thought if I put the right fruit in it, it might become pink.”</p>
<p>“Pink?” He raised his brow. “Why in the world would you want pink hair?”</p>
<p>“I like the colors of the blossoms in spring.” She continued to shiver and held her hand toward the fire again. “Especially the cherry blossoms. There were a lot of cherry trees at my old house…” She trailed off, then looked down. “It was so pretty, but I wouldn’t expect a man to understand that.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine for a girl to want to be pretty, but there are better ways around it than to mash fruit into your hair.”</p>
<p>“Hmph.” She touched her hair again. “I was hoping it would at least change colors a little bit…”</p>
<p>“Hm.” He sipped his soup again, then pointed to her hair. “I think the back is a bit pink.”</p>
<p>Her eyes widened. “Really? Is it?!”</p>
<p>He laughed and shook his head slowly. “Of course it ain’t, Bait. Don’t be so gullible.”</p>
<p>Sakura puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms. “You don’t have to tease me like that.”</p>
<p>“Don’t let things get to you so easily.” He stood and grabbed a blanket from the wagon, then tossed it over her, sitting once again and pouring a second bowl to hand to her.</p>
<p>Sakura’s eyes widened and she wrapped the blanket around herself and eagerly took the bowl to take long slurps. It warmed her from the inside-out, and she let out a contented sigh. “This is better than anything I could make.” She brought the bowl to her lips again to continue slurping, and he watched her for a while quietly,</p>
<p>“So, care to explain why you’re charading as an orphan and a pauper, miss Haruno?”</p>
<p>Her eyes widened and she froze in place and she quickly swallowed the gulp of soup. “I don’t know what you—” She shut her lips tightly as he raised his brow, then she hung her head to stare at the ground. “What gave me away?”</p>
<p>“There’s only one Haruno man in Independence, and it’s common knowledge that he’s a well-to-do banker from Massachusetts with a wife and a daughter.” He scoffed and shook his head as he watched her. “If your aim was to keep your identity a secret, you shouldn’t have given your family name when you introduced yourself before.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” Sakura bit her lip and tapped the side of points of her shoes together. “You had me figured out this whole time, then?”</p>
<p>“Your shoes were also a clear indicator that you weren’t really poor, either.” He gestured to her footwear with his knuckles. “Edmund Knowles’ shoes are all expensive and custom-made for each client, and his shop is very exclusive. It wouldn’t be possible for a back-alley orphan girl to afford a pair of his shoes, and the likelihood of you stealing those shoes from someone and having them fit you exactly would be next to nothing. Knowing that, I can easily tell that you come from money.”</p>
<p>She dug her heels into the dirt and hugged her knees close. “I suppose I should have changed my shoes, too, when I had left home.”</p>
<p>“Must be hard, having a full belly every night, imported dresses, and indentured servants.” He rolled his eyes slightly and stoked the fire with a branch. “I see why you left.”</p>
<p>“It was hard!” Sakura’s eyes watered and she bit her lip. “All that stuff doesn’t matter if your mother cares more about her social status and throwing dinner parties and planning to marry you off to the Mayor’s son than you.” She clenched her hands into fists. “My father only cares about his money and the influence it brings him. Their only expectation of me is to be quiet, obedient, dress nicely, and then marry someone they choose and to have baby after baby until I die in childbirth, and that my husband remarries another girl with wealthy, manipulative parents.” She scowled and kicked some dirt toward the fire. “I don’t want to marry someone yet. My birthday is only in a few weeks, and they said that I would have to marry Amos Hague then.”</p>
<p>“Arranged marriages are common in families like yours.”</p>
<p>“That doesn’t mean that I want to go through with it!” She glared at him and shouted, then quieted again and looked down. “Tonight my parents were hosting a party to formally announce the engagement. My mother gave me no warning, and only told me of it this morning at breakfast. That was when I realized that I didn’t have any more time left to sit around and hope that they changed their minds or decided to try to listen to the things that I wanted.” She sighed and drew her arms closer. “I stole clothes from the stablehand when he wasn’t looking, and I wanted to disguise my hair, so I mashed up raspberries into it.”</p>
<p>“Well, to that end, you sure weren’t recognizable.” Kakashi watched the girl as she stared down at her feet. “Don’t take it what I said as agreement. Arranged marriages are common, however; a woman shouldn’t be treated as property, particularly not by her parents. That makes her no different than a slave.”</p>
<p>“I know it… but even so, any time that I tried to complain, they would always say that this was my duty and that I owed them to do this as a daughter.” She shut her eyes tightly and tears rolled down her cheeks slowly. “But… I didn’t ask to be born, and I didn’t choose to be a girl. I just wanted them to care about me the way that they would a son, and to encourage the things I wanted to do.”</p>
<p>There was a long paused and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hands.</p>
<p>“What is it that you’d like to do?”</p>
<p>“Have you heard of Emilia Arbor?” Sakura sniffed and met his eyes.</p>
<p>He raised his brow and crossed his arms. “The woman wanted for murdering her husband and for looting wagon trains?”</p>
<p>“I don’t mean that I want to be a criminal like that.” Sakura looked down briefly. “But everyone always talks about her like she’s so powerful, even though she’s a woman, and she’s free to do whatever she likes. Riding everywhere on her horse, she isn’t bound to anyone’s rules. That’s what I like about her.”</p>
<p>“So, your aspiration is to ride across the country on the back of a horse with no definitive place to call home?”</p>
<p>“I want to <em>see</em> the world. My parents barely let me step outside the manor, except to attend Mass. I didn’t even get to see all of Independence until I started to sneak out in disguise and explore.” She sat straighter. “I want to travel and explore until I’ve gotten tired of it, and then I want to settle down someplace and breed horses. I love horses.”</p>
<p>“From a lady to a horse breeder, huh?” He let out a short breath. “What’s so special about horses?”</p>
<p>“Have you ever seen a horse race before?”</p>
<p>Kakashi shook his head slightly. “Never had the desire to.”</p>
<p>“Well, my mother and father took me to one a few years back, you see. In Cape Cod.” She closed her eyes as she smiled. “I never wanted to go with them; it was hot, and the dress was so uncomfortable. When that gun went off and the race started, though, I just couldn’t look away.” She opened her eyes and grinned. “The horses were so beautiful and elegant, but also so strong. It was a lovely dappled Mare that won that race, and everyone was cheering and talking about how powerful that mare was.” She paused and clasped her hands together. “My father took us with him to meet the jockey, and the horse, Morning-Glory. She came right up to me and met my eyes, and it felt as if she could see into my soul.”</p>
<p>Sakura clutched the front of her shirt. “She was such a big animal, but so gentle and lovely, and not a single soul looked down at her for being a mare instead of a stallion.” She hit her palm with her fist. “And that’s why horses are the best! They can be elegant and strong, and they are kind and don’t care one bit if you’re ‘improper’ as a lady or not. I want to have a ranch full of them and show other people why they’re so special.”</p>
<p>“You sure got fired up about this, Bait.” Kakashi sighed and rested his chin in his hand. “If you want to become a horsewoman, though, you should expect to meet some resistance. There are many things that a woman isn’t supposed to get involved with.”</p>
<p>“That doesn’t matter to me.” She shook her head. “I am used to disappointing my parents and doing the things they say I shouldn’t.” She paused and watched as he looked away quietly. “Why did <em>you</em> leave Independence?”</p>
<p>“Didn’t I say before that I didn’t care for conversation?”</p>
<p>Sakura puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms as she mumbled. “Seems to me that you do like conversation, only that you are avoiding certain topics.”</p>
<p>He raised his brow at her, then pointed to the wagon. “Wagon. Bed. Now.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading!</p><p>I am currently working on building a server for my main  fanfic (My Brother's a Jinchuriki) on discord where I will have information on the characters, clans, and locations. (spoiler-free) as well as art of the characters. If you'd like to join the discord server for my fic, here is the link:<br/>https://discord.gg/Wg8XuP</p></blockquote></div></div>
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